This invention relates to practice or training golf clubs. More particularly, this invention relates to a practice golf club which indicates a proper swing by mirroring the wrist position of the golfer throughout the golf stroke.
Practice or training golf clubs having hinged shafts are known. These practice clubs generally comprise a shaft having a grip at one end and a golf club head attached to the other end. The shaft further has upper and lower shaft portions connected by a hinge. Examples of such prior art practice golf clubs include U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,575 to Hause, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,585 to Koch et al and U.S. Pat. No. 2,497,237 to Reineking.
The practice golf club of U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,575 comprises a golf club having upper and lower shafts connected by a one-way hinge. The one-way hinge is located near the lower end of the club. The upper shaft has a grip at its upper end and the lower shaft has a head at its lower end. This hinge orientated so as to allow the hinge to break or pivot in a rearward direction perpendicular to the head. The practice club of U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,575 is designed to break or pivot at the hinge when the golf club is improperly swung during the backswing. This is due to the orientation of the hinge relative to the face of the club head. This hinge is positioned for breaking along a plane at about a 90.degree. angle relative to the reference plane of the club face. The reference plane of the club face is defined as the plane in which the club face of an iron having a 0.degree. loft lies. This club may be used to hit a golf ball when properly swung. An improper golf swing includes a jerking motion as opposed to a steady smooth swing or an improper angle of the club face during the swing (e.g., an open club face, known as a "slice" or a closed club face, known as a "hook").
The practice club of U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,585 comprises a golf club having upper and lower shafts connected by a two-way hinge. The two-way hinge is located near the lower end of the club. The upper shaft has a grip at its upper end and the lower shaft has a head at its lower end. The hinge is orientated pivot at about a 90.degree. angle with the reference plane of the club face. The practice golf club of U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,5.85 is designed to break or pivot when the golf club is improperly swung. This club may be used to hit a golf ball when properly swung.
The practice putter of U.S. Pat. No. 2,497,237 also comprises a golf club having upper and lower shafts connected a one-way hinge. The one-way hinge is located near the upper end of the club. The upper shaft has a grip at its upper end and the lower shaft has a head at its lower end. The hinge orientated to pivot at about a 90.degree. angle with the reference plane of the club face. The practice golf club of U.S. Pat. No. 2,497,237 is designed to break or pivot when the golf club is improperly swung (i.e., a jerking motion as opposed to a steady smooth swing). This club may be used to hit a golf ball when properly swung.
These prior art practice golf clubs attempt to correct for improper angles of the club face during a swing before breaking at the hinge. However, need exists for a practice golf club which will better indicate a proper swing throughout the golf stroke (i.e., backswing, downswing and follow through swing).